I am continuing a series for our newsletter to include a leadership topic along with passing along news in the nursing community. This series we are focusing on our Be-Attitudes, those attitudes we need to cultivate to win business and life. I wanted to focus on the positive in nursing and leadership. Subscribe to receive notification when our newsletter comes out. We publish twice a month.
When I think about being fearless, I am not talking about taking foolish risks. I am talking about being bold, being courageous, being willing to step out there and take center stage. Are you ready to step into the light? There was a popular commercial which challenged people to “Take the Nestea plunge.” It was in essence a precursor to all of the viral challenges on social media today. Another ad asked, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” My question to you is, “What would you do to achieve your dreams? Would you do it scared?”
The unknown can be terrifying and yet exhilarating. I think about the inventions in modern times. Can you imagine how terrifying it must have been to be the first person to drive a car, fly a plane, or build a boat? What if you crash, fall, or sink? But what if you went faster, flew higher, or sailed farther? To be fearless is about taking a risk, despite feeling afraid.
I remember one of my first performances on TV. We were in the high school band and our quarter was playing a song. I was so nervous. I was afraid I would mess up. I was so nervous; I did not realize that I was stomping to keep the time. I was scared but I did it anyway. That experience helped in competition when I had to play a clarinet solo. It also gave me perspective when I later had to give a speech at graduation. Taking that risk prepared me to take future risks.
I also remember one of my biggest failures (well up until that time). I was in my freshman year in college and I received my first D on a test. I had never gotten a D before in my life. Up until college, school was breeze. It was a blow to my confidence. My RA helped me to calm down, stop crying, and get a new perspective. She encouraged me to get a tutor and seek help from the professor. Once I began to understand why I failed and summoned the courage to do something about it constructively instead of hiding under the blanket in my dorm room, I improved. Not only did my grades improve by tutoring in the subject, but I also took additional training on how to study. Up until that time, I simply read the chapter and then took the test. In college, I was learning how to put the information to work. I had to develop critical thinking skills. That failure helped me to see two things: 1. I had better learn how to study quickly; and 2. I had failed but I survived. I did not die although at the time I thought I would do so. I learned to get up again. I learned that failure was an event and not a person. I was not a failure. By facing my fear of failure and rejection, I became brave. Not because I may not fail again, it is because I know how to get up.
Where has fear held you back? Is the fear of falling flat on your face keeping you out of the game? Believe me when I say I have fallen several times and I have a bruised knee to show for it. I had a couple of business ventures that didn’t work out. That’s okay. I learned a lot in these endeavors. Queen Latifah has been quoted saying, “Fear can be good when you’re walking past an alley at night or when you need to check the locks on your doors before you go to bed at night, but it’s not good when you have a goal and you’re fearful of obstacles. We often get trapped by our fears, but anyone who has had success has failed before.” Be Fearless. It is an attitude to cultivate.
Nursing News
Recent articles have highlighted the lack of transparency and increasing concerns about patient care in healthcare due to lack of staffing. Now, we have to worry about health care organizations not paying their vendors and disrupting patient care. In one story, a patient allegedly dies when she had to be transferred to another hospital because the vital equipment she needed was repossessed by a vendor. A nursing home had services cut and supply shortages due to not paying vendors. Allegations of misspending money to line the pockets of executives have been noted with one CEO purchasing a $42 million dollar yacht. Massachusetts Governor Muara Healey is speaking out against private equity firms in healthcare who put profits ahead of patients. Patient safety should be paramount in healthcare. See these stories for more information:
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